Jody Barnes (voiced by Jack Grimes, who sounds like he'd make a perfect Jimmy Olsen on an RMT version of "Superman"), a talented yet struggling young country music singer from San Jose, CA (kind of quaint to think of this as a place where one has to hope to be discovered) hooks up with a manager who is convinced he can become a big star. The manager proceeds to make him one, working the singer's posterior off in the process. He becomes a country superstar, and finds images of himself showing up in places that only a media superstar will see them, which becomes increasingly unnerving to him. What shakes him up the most is a doll, bearing his likeness, that has a pre-recorded message on it. In fact, he begins to hate the doll and will react angrily to it any time he sees it. He also seems to be suffering from fatigue. When the episode starts, his fans are flocking to a million-dollar concert at Madison Square Garden, but his manager and wife can't find him. Where is he? He's at their apartment, but doesn't want to answer the phone and says he couldn't do it if he wanted to...

A small town musician with the help of an aggressive promoter quickly rises to fame and fortune. The marketing effort goes far beyond music promotion as the young man is turned into an icon whose name and image are just as marketable, if not more so, than his music. He is uneasy about the shift from music, particularly with the talking dolls in his likeness.

A pretty creepy story about a man who gets catapulted into stardom, but doesn't like his image being idolized (a fan even states that she doesn't think of him as a person). Made me think of the movie Magic for some reason (although I barely remember it). A fairly good listen.

One thing missing from this episode is the music he is supposed to be performing. There should be excerpts from his performances to set the mood. We never get to hear him sing, there are no scenes of him backstage, or crowds cheering, or anything that makes the listener feel that this is about someone in show business. Usually, when there's an episode is about a performer, we get to hear SOME sounds that indicate a show business career. Even when there is supposed to be an ugly mob outside, we don't hear the crowd. So I find it annoying that this episode just doesn't have the right sound effects to set the mood. Also, the ending doesn't make sense. Why does he become the doll? (Sorry if I'm giving away spoilers, but I thought it was just too weird.)

Impressed by Jodie Barnes’ singing at a small country fair, press agent Craig Herbert signs him to a long-term contract with the promise he’ll make him a star. Jodie dutifully follows Herbert’s every instruction, and in a short time he is the nation’s number one country singer, his likeness appearing on T-shirts, lunch boxes, board games and hairdryers. But trouble begins when a manufacturer produces a Jodie Barnes singing doll that Jodie is certain will destroy both him and his career

I remember listening to this episode in 1976 when I was 6 1/2 years old. The story still stands up today.